Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-03-03


of this century they rose steadily, and
twenty years ago they were quoted at
about 500 carat. Now, Mr.. Henry
ID. Morse. of Boston, gives the follow
ing prices Of diamonds at the present
time:
Stones averaging one-half carat each, $50 per
carat
Stones averaging three-quarter carat each, $50
per carat.
Stones averaging one carat each, 500 per
carat.
Stones averaging one and one-quarter carats
each, s110 per carat.
Stones averaging one and one-half carats
each. s125 per carat.
Stones averaging one and three-quarter carats
Stones averaging two carats each, Sis per
carat.
In other words, the value of the gem
increases in the geometrical ratio of its
weight. Four diamonds weighing to-
gether two carats are worth $12O, but
one diamond weighing just as much is
worth $3.50. Stones weighing over two
carats are about the same price per
carat as two carat-stones; they should
be dearer, but they are not, simply be-
cause the demand for them is limited.
If the demand for diamonds were as
imperative as the demand for flour or
beef the geometrical ratio would ugain
come into play, and five-carat stones
would be valued in the thousands.
1t Is not likely that the diamond of
70 lo 1r0
in value than it is now. In the words
of a popular writer: 1.-The diamond is
the very essence Of property. 1t is
riches condensed; too small to be seen
by the midnight burglar; too easily hid
to be seized by the tyrant; too quickly
carried away to be wrested from the
exile or the outlaw. A diamond is a
portable empire 1t is no wonder
the prosecuted ex-monarchs of Hindo-
stan put their money in diamonds
against British rapacity.
Our San Francisco jewellers buy their
diamonds in London and Paris. None
of them have yet established con-
nections with Brazil or Golconda or
Cape Town. There is firm in New
York which cuts diamonds, and which
performed good job on that remark
able stone which was discovered a few
years ago on the bank of the James
river, opposite Richmond. Va. But
Amsterdam holds an easy pre-eminence
in diamond cutting, and IFS work goes
to London or Paris for sale, where our
dealers find it. Diamonds, like editors,
can only be cut by themselves.
Diamond dust is the only material that
will impinge the surface Of the raw
diamond.
The tendency of modern taste is to-
ward simplicity in shape and artistic
decoration in design. The belle of the
modern ballroom is amazed to see the
massive handouts which her mother
wore in the guise of bracelets, with
little spikes hanging from them, on
which the ardent lover impaled his
fingers when he tried to clasp Ange-
lima S hand. The modern bracelet is a
plain, narrow hoop of gold. with a
rich stone set in it. When Buchanan
was President and the gentlemen of the
South declared that they were going to
die in the last ditch girls wore ear
rings which We're ponderous masses
of gold. with Il few precious stones
set in them in odd corners, and which
distended the holes in their pretty
ears, so that bad brothers could stick Il
lead-pencil in them. The modern ear
ring is a simple jewel-pearl or dia-
mond. 1t has Il setting to hold it in
place, but the jeweler exhausts his art
to conceal the setting, so that it shall
not be detected, and that the gem, of
purest ray serene. shall seem to hang
on beauty's ear by the attraction Of
affinity and rings! Does any one re-
member the monstrous cables which
old Mrs. Crpsus used to wear in the
days of our mothers, in which gold and
rubies and diamonds and pearls were
massed together so that when you
shook hands with her you fancied you
had got hold of a curtain-ring which
had been battered out of shape? In
the modern ring the gold modestly
cffaces itself. leaving the gem to shine
in solitary radiance. And think of the
chains our grandmammas used to fasten
- their watches of your fOOty
little things that the Philistine couldn't
see rs he passed, but solid, massive
chains by which dog could have been
secured in his kennel or small boat
moored to its landing-place. Watch
chains nowadays are modest, unob-
trusive objects, which hold the watch
in place, but which shrink from public
view and timidly shun the admiration
their exquisite embroidery might some
times command.-Sdn Francisco Call.
Powerful New Pistol.